Process for cooking



I Patented May 2?, I924.

/ car are Lara FREDERICKS HADLEY, 0F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

raocnss roia, cocaine.

Application filed September 29, 1922. Serial No. 591,229.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK S. HADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of IVisconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes for Cooking, of which the following is a rfull, clear, concise, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates to the preparation of foods and, though capable of a more general use, is primarily concerned with a novel process for the treatment of cereal starches, such as barley, navy beans and the like, by which these may be rendered easily digestible and well adapted for consumption by convalescents, as well as persons of'good physical health.

It is generally recognized that the cereals and, particularly those named, possess very high and wonderful nutritive values. Yet they are not ordinarily considered proper food for other than strong and healthy per sons, because of the inability to reduce them to a readily digestible state by cooking processes heretofore practiced.

The cereals in the raw state are made u of minute particles or cells of starch, eac entirely encased within hard walls, of silicious material which are, in a large degree, impenetrable by the juices of the digestive organs. In fact, many of these cells pass through the stomach and small intestines into the large intestines, where, if they break at all, it is because of the absorption of moisture and body heat. This delay in the breaking down of the cell walls results in fermentation due to the absence of enzymes within the large intestines capable of acting upon the raw starch exposed therein, thus giving rise to pathological conditions. The physical structure of the various starch foods are quite similar in'this respect, except that in some the silicious cell walls are more readily broken down than in others. For instance, the silicious cell walls of the vegetable starches, such as potatoes, beans, peas, etc., are weaker than those of the cereal starches, and there is a wide range of difference in this respect between the starches in the cereal P- So far as I am aware, no process has been heretofore devised which is capable of successfully and completely breaking down the cell walls of all of the cereal starches, particularly navy beans and barley, without subjecting them to temperatures so high as to materially impair the nutritive value thereof. Temperatures ranging considerably above 212,F. haveheretofore been employed in an attempt to break down the cell walls in some of these starches. such temperatures, chemical reactions set in which tend to destroy or at least impair their nutritive value.

The general aim of the present invention is to provide a novel process by which the cell walls of starch foods of various species may be completely broken down without the use of high temperatures, the food being thus rendered easily digestible and its original nutritive value retained. In accomplishing this, I rely wholly upon the mechanical hammering effect of the molecules of the cooking medium against the cell walls of the food. I have found that the intensity and effectiveness of this molecular attack depends, not alone upon the temperature of the cooking medium, but also upon the density of the medium and upon the pressure applied thereto. Thus, I select a liquid,

preferably water, as a cooking medium, and

during the process subject the water to a pressure and temperature dependent upon the character of the food substance under treatment. In someinstances, pressures as high as sixty pounds per square inch, more or less, are employed while the temperature for any given case may be between 150 and As illustrative of the present invention, I

shall describe, .in particular, a process by which I have successfully rendered very easily digestible such cereal starches as navy beans.

The beans are first immersed in water, at

ordinary temperature, and permitted to soak But at 65 The beans so immersed are temperature for cooking beans. Durressiire and temperature the temperature within the'vessel substanare preferably maintained substantially con-- tially constant and uniform throughout. stant. The vessel 10 may be equipped with a presllhave found that by treating navy beans in sure gauge 19 of any appropriate type and this way, the cell walls are completely broken thermometers 20'and 21 may be appliedto down and the beans, are actually reduced the vessel 10 and container 14 to guide the to a condition appropriate for consumption, operator in carrying out the process. in substantial quantities, by convalescents The apparatus just described is fully disas well as persons in good physical health. closed in my copending application, Serial Furthermore, the nutritive value of the beans No. 507,456, filed ()ctober 13, 1921, so that is in no way impaired because the cooking a further or more detailed description theretemperature 1 is well below that at which of at this time is deemed unnecessary. destructive chemical reaction sets in. T have" Various modifications may be made in the also found that beans treated in this manner process hereinabove specifically described, may be kept, without spoiling, for as long without departing from or sacrificing any of as twelve days or more in an ordinary ice the advantages of the invention as defined box. in the appended claims.

This process has also been successfully ap- 1. The method of preparing food which plied to other foods, such as vegetables, consists inheating the food'substance in a fruits and meats, with similar results, the liquid medium under pressure to intensify eight hours, the

- pressures and t mper tures employed being the molecular action thereof against the cell dependent upon the character of 7 food structure of the food and at a relatively low treatedlln each in ance, how v r, I hav temperature below that at which destructive used water as a cooking medium. Water or chemical action sets in.

other liquid medium, rather than an aeri- ,2, The method of preparing food which form medium, is employed because of its consists in soaking the food substance in a greater density and consequent increased liquid and thereafter heating the same in a eflectiveness upon the food treated. This liquid under pressure to intensify the molecincreased eflectiveness of the liquid medium ular attack thereof against the cell strucover the aeriform med1um 1s explalned by ture of the food andat a relatively low temthe fact that, within the liquid medium there perature belowthat at which destructive the drawing.

corresponding parts of the container.

are a greater number of molecules per unit chemical action sets in. of volume and that the mechanical efi'ect of 3. The method of preparing foodwhich the .molecular action upon the substance consists in cooking the food ata uniform treated is correspondingly greater. temperature substantially below 212 15. in

An apparatus well adapted for carrying. a li uid m dium u d r p es ure, out the method above described is diagram- 4:. The method of preparing food which matically illustrated in the single figure of consists in soaking the food substance in a liquid and thereafter cooking the same at a This pp r includes Vessel 0f ail uniform temperature substantially below tight construction and capable of withstand- 212 F. in a liquid under pressurev ing operating pressures as high as sixty or 5. (The method of treating cer l even one hundred pounds per square inch. which consists in soaking the same hes ater,

The cover 11 of this vessel is removably at normal temperatures, for' several hours,

clamped thereon by means. of an appropriate and. then cooking the same for several hours p-. The vessellfl is pp d upon at a uniform. temperature substantially bea suitable bracket 13 within an outer conlow 212 15. in a liquid medium under prestainer 14: so that the top, bottom and side sure. walls of the vessel are well spaced from the 6. The method of preparing food which consists in immersing the food substance in In practice, the food tobe treated is placed a liquid and subjecting said liquid to a presin jars 15 or other appropriate containers,; sure substantially greater than that of the the contents of each jar being completely atmosphere and to atemperature substancovered with water. -These jars are placed tially below 212 F. on suitable trays 16 within the vessel 10, the 7. The method of preparing food which cover 11 is clamped thereon and air pumped consists in soaking thefood substance in a.

into the vessel through the pipe'17 until liquid at normal temperature, and then subthe desired pressure'has been attained. The jecting said liquid to a pressure substantialouter container 1 1 is then substantially filled ly greater than that of the atmosphere and with water so that the vessel 10 is completely to a temperature substantially less than 212 immersed. Heat is then applied by the ad: F. for several hours. 7

mission of steam through an appropriate witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe coil 18 surrounding the vessel. The fact my name this 27th day of September, 1922.

that the vessel 10 is completely enclosed in a'water jacket renders it easy to maintain FREDERICK S. HADLEY.

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